Rock the Victim mentality
Lisa De Pasquale
townhall.com
March 26, 2005
On the heels of the AARP, NOW, NAACP and other left-leaning groups' hysteria over Social Security reform and personal retirement accounts, the Rock the Vote campaign is latching on to the issue and misinforming a whole new generation.
Rock the Vote says they are “a non-profit, non-partisan organization, founded in 1990 in response to a wave of attacks on freedom of speech and artistic expression” that “harnesses cutting-edge trends and pop culture to make political participation cool.”
Along with their leftist cohorts, Rock the Vote calls private retirement accounts a “rip off” and accuses those seeking reform of employing scare tactics. “Don't be fooled – they’re trying to take advantage of you,” they caution readers. They also say claims of bankruptcy are false and that 100% of benefits can be paid for the next 40-50 years because the government has lots and lots of money. Apparently our National Parks are overrun with money trees. Unfortunately, they will soon be endangered if Social Security continues on its current track.
Rock the Vote, however, attempts to scare people in their own disingenuous campaign. They state that “there are some politicians who want to phase Social Security out” and “[Politicians] really don’t think we should have a Social Security program at all, and they want to get rid of it.”
Who are these anonymous, renegade politicians?
Among Rock the Vote’s top ten reasons that young people should oppose Social Security reform is that the current system is "retro chic," "politicians want to trick you" and "investments are a gamble." Their number one reason – it’s better to "visit your grandparents--at their house" because "before Social Security, for most families, all the generations lived under one roof." This is how Rock the Vote views their constituency – a bunch of shallow, ditzy victims who don't want to live with their grandparents.
So, how do you make an apathetic generation care about Social Security? Sell t-shirts, trucker hats (so much for “cutting edge”) and thongs emblazoned with 'I ? Social Security'. Not coincidentally, Rock the Vote is selling their items through a Democratic website. Other items sold include the "Wreck the Nation" board game, “Wake me up in 4 years” sleep mask and "We Survived 8 Years of Reagan, We’ll Survive This" bumper stickers.
So much for Rock the Vote’s insistence that they are “non-partisan.”
Based on recent polling, there is clearly a need to educate all Americans on the facts about Social Security. A March 2005 MWR Strategies poll found that 46% of its sample doesn’t even know the current tax rate (12.4%) taken for Social Security benefits. Additionally, 68% of those polled believe that they have a legal right to their Social Security benefits. The Supreme Court said otherwise. In the 1960 Supreme Court decision in Flemming vs. Nestor, the court ruled that paying into the system does not make receiving benefits a “contractual right.”
The Rock the Vote 'I ? Social Security' campaign takes a page from other leftist groups by telling their audience that they are victims who need the government to look after them. In reality, future generations will become victims if they blindly finance an unreformed Social Security system that currently allows no control over one's retirement savings. In fact, most polls show that young Americans, in particular, understand the issue – financial freedom is hot. Trucker hats with stupid slogans are not. A majority of those under 30 believe that personal retirement accounts are a good idea and that they trust themselves to manage their retirement funds much more than they trust the government.
Rock the Vote is out of touch with the real views of young people. Rather than support what's best for their self-proclaimed constituency, they're feeding them misinformation on Social Security reform.
For a generation frequently depicted as one of apathetic, shallow clones, imagine if their legacy was liberation from an antiquated retirement system to adopting individually controlled accounts that not only create wealth, but create a cycle of wealth that will benefit generations to come.
If Rock the Vote truly wants to be cutting-edge, they need to lose the liberal talking points and stand up for what most young Americans want – financial independence in choosing their retirement plans.
Lisa De Pasquale is program director at the Clare Boothe Luce Policy Institute.
©2005 Lisa De Pasquale
townhall.com |
